Hydraulic elevator



(No Model.)

G. L. PIERCE.

, HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

No. 252,966. Patented Jan. 31,1882.

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cnon'en L. PIERCE, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,966, dated d'anuary 31, 1882.

Application filed September 6, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, of the city of Oakland, in the countyof Alameda and State of California, have invented certain Improvements in Hydraulic Elevators,of which this, with the accompanying drawing, isaspecification.

The object of this invention is to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency, safety, and durability of the hoist.

It consists in the combination, with a 11ydraulic-ram hoist, first, of an automaticallygraduated counterbalance; second,of a device for blowing out sediment deposited at the bottom of the hydraulic cylinder; third,ofa guide to prevent springing of the ram.

Referring to the drawing, A is a well that contains the hydraulic cylinder and blow-off pipe. It is usually bored and lined with tubing, like an Artesian well.

Bisahydrauliccylindercontainingtheram B.

O is a blow-off pipe for discharging-any sediment that may collect at the bottom ofthe cylinder B. It is provided with avalve,c, for thepurpose hereinafter specified.

D is aguide, through which the ram slides freely until the slack of the lines F F is taken up, after which it rises and falls with the ram. Its office is to prevent springing of a long slender rain, and it may be applied to a horizontal as well as perpendicular ram.

E E are rollers on the ends of the guide I) to keep it in position and reduce friction as it rises and falls with the ram.

F F are ropes, one'end of each of which is fastened to the bottom of the cage or to the head of the ram, the other end being attached to the guide D.

G is a cage for passengers or freight. securely fastened to the head of the rain.

H H are guide-posts for keeping the cage in line with the axis of the ram.

I is a cross-bar or the root of the cage.

J J are wire ropes, the upper ends of which are secured to the drum Kand the lower ends to the cross-bar or roof I.

K is a drum, upon which the lines J J are wound by the action of the counter-weight N as the ram ascends.

L is a fusee, to which the line H is attached, and upon which it winds as the ram descends.

It is (No model.)

This fusee may be detachable, so that a larger or smaller one may be substituted should it be desirable to vary the size or powerof the counter-balance N. The office of this fusee is, in connection with the weight N, to provide an automatically variable or graduated counterbalance to the cage and ram by increasing or diminishing the leverage and power of said weight as it rises and falls with the winding and unwinding of the line M. Other devices for securing an automatically variable or graduated counter-balance may be substituted, and therefore I do not confine myself to this form of construction, though it is probably as simple and efficientas any thatcan beapplied. The size and proportions of the fusee should be such as exactlytocompensateforthelossortheincrease of buoyancy of the rain caused byits emersion or immersion as it rises and falls in the water contained in the cylinder B, so that any pressure or any weight capable of starting the ram will carry it to the end of its stroke, notwithstanding this loss or this increase of buoyancy.

M is a line, by which the counter-weight is suspended, its upper end being firmly secured to the larger end of the fusee. Y

N is a partial counter-balance to the ram and cage, but leaving them sufficiently unbalanced to let the empty cage descend freely when water is allowed to escape from the cylinder B. By carrying the line M over a pulley the weight N may be placed wherever desired.

0 is the supply and discharge pipe for water, by which the hoist is worked. It is provided with the usual valves and levers or ropes.

The operation of this apparatusis as follows:

Water being admitted under suitable pressure I to the cylinder B through the pipe 0, the ram rises, carrying the cage Gr, taking up the slack of the ropes F F, and then raising the guide D,which, beingneedcd only on thelong strokes, is permitted by the slack of these ropes to remain at restduring all short strokes ofthe ram. As the ram ascends, the lines J J are wound upon the drum K by means of the descending counter-weightN, hangingfroin the constantlyincreasing radius of the fusee, whereby the power ofthe counter-weight is made to increase in exact ratio with the loss of buoyancy of the' ascending ram. When water is allowed to escape from the cylinder B the converse follows,

the ascending counterweightlmnging from a radius decreasing in exact ratio with the increasing buoyancy of the descending ram. When sediment collects at the bottom of cylinder B it is blown out through the pipe 0 by opening the valve 0, instead of the usual valve when lowering the ram.

Having thus illustrated and described my invention, what I deem new, and claim as my invention, is

1. An auto natically-varying or self-compensating counterpoise, in combination with a hydraulic elevator having a platform or cage resting upon, secured to, and operated by a vertical ram.

2. A hydraulic elevator having a platform or cage resting 'uprin, secured t-o,and operated by I G. L. P] ERGE.

Witnesses:

A. B. Bownns, GEO. TREssLEn. 

